11 April 1968

Rudi Dutschke Shot

On April 11, at 5.23 p.m., on the the Kurfürstendamm in Berlin, the unskilled painter Josef Erwinn Bachmann fired three shots into Rudi Dutschke's face. The life of the student leader is in danger, but he survives.
For months now, in rightist circles ideas about violence have flourished. Inspired by the authorities and the Springer press, political conflict focused on the person of Rudi Dutschke. The twenty-eight year old Dutschke was branded Enemy of the People no. 1, to be rounded up: Gas Dutschke! Get rid of this mob! Political enemies belong in concentration camps!
Only a few hours before the attempt, Dutschke had been asked whether he was afraid of a criminal assault: "No fear, no. It may happen, but friends keep an eye on me. Normally I don?t walk about on my own. Of course, some neurotic or lunatic can always go completely crazy."
(Text: J.W. Stutje)

See also:

•  Search IISH collections and databases for `Rudi Dutschke'

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